For as stormy as Friday had been - Saturday arrived sunshine stunning - in all it's glory! I think all of camp slept in - it was so blissfully quiet - at least early on. We'd originally planned to do the afternoon train ride with Janelle & friends in camp. That changed when we heard from our daughter (who lives in Astoria) - that her family was coming down to visit us!
Out near the bay~
I was really looking forward to riding out to enjoy the sun on the dunes & on the beach. Farah again looked at where Sandy had been camping - still hopeful that Ody might be around :-) When we passed the horse ride concession, there was a long group of riders just returning from their ride. The wrangler said he'd seen me last evening & pointed me to a trail that I hadn't taken before.
Fishing dock~
The first time we came out on the bay - we could see north to the dock where Butch & I had walked the day before. We continued on & soon came to a beautiful little secluded valley. Still with mostly native grasses & so gorgeous. Almost like riding in a totally different country.
Farah admires the view~
Eventually, we wound our way back to the main trail & into the little secluded woods area that's so pretty. On the way - we found Foxglove competing with the Scotch Broom for growing space.
The first time we found the outhouse & hitching rails - we had a good laugh! I think it's probably a spot on the trail for the dudes that are out on those all day rides!
We pass the "facilities"~
The trail here, turns out east again & winds along to the next spot looking over the bay.
I think I've taken a similar photo - which gives the true view - of the destruction to a once vibrant - verdant grassland dune. The dark green is the Scotch Broom taking over... Can you imagine how beautiful it was in all native grasses? I've linked above to a recovery project elsewhere.
The tiny coastal forest~
Even here, in this tiny section of coastal forest - you see the Scotch Broom has gained a foothold & is edging out the ferns & natives. Amazingly adaptive even in the shade of the pines. We came to the end of the trail south & made the turn west.
Trail post on the horizon~
You can just see the post marking the start of the trail from the beach, near the jetty.
At the beach~
Since last year, somewhat of a trail has been made down & through the driftwood that piles up here during storms. The signage asks that we stay on trails & not enter the dunes to the north.
Farah~
There was a little wind & Farah knew that on this day she'd get to go! She was excited the minute her hooves hit the wet sand :-) I called Butch - he was already out on the beach taking photos of other riders & waiting for us.
We galloped all the way north until we reached Butch, passing another dude string on our way.
Then we did a little circling around Butch :-) I appreciate him taking the video, as it's helpful to get a chance to see how Farah moves & how I'm moving too. Our first time at the beach with the Stonewall saddle. It was nice to see that I'm not riding like a Monkey on a stick :-) Dean's favorite descriptive phrase for legs too far back, heels too high & body too far forward. At least it seems to be working for us!
Farah & Connie
With all the long trotting & galloping we did, Farah never once raised her shoulders, tossed her neck or bucked into the gallop. All things that she had done regularly in all the other saddles we've used. What a relief to know that she's comfortable - finally! I'm also really pleased with the performance of the Saddleright pad
that Cassandra recommended. We used it for the first time at Mt. Adams & it stays perfectly put, is thin & Farah's back looks super
when the saddle comes off.
Top of the dune~
Farah loves to attack the big dune going to the top of the trail to camp - so we did :-) Then we waited for Butch & the dogs to catch up :-) Back in camp, it was quiet, just the sound of the breeze in the trees & the birds chirping. Almost everyone on their way to the train ride. We had time for lunch, then sat out in the sun until the kids arrived!
Recently, I've had reason to appreciate the little things - more... There are so many little things that make up our world - from the smallest - to the largest - all are so unique to our life here on planet earth. Today, when Linda & I stopped for a short break - the air was filled with these beautiful tiny Dragonflies. So tiny, so delicate & yet full of life.
On the trail~
With the trails open, Linda asked if I wanted her to take me on a ride & that sounded perfect to me. We did trails, lots of trails! The wooded landscape is literally exploding with new growth. As we turned to each section - Linda would say; "Oh - this needs to get done!" With a work party coming up on June 4th - all we can do is hope that the many people who ride & enjoy this incredible area - will come up & spend a day clearing trail.
Linda & Count
Farah again refused to cross a muddy wet spot - she had done so well for so long - I have no idea why she's again refusing. Rather than ride the kind of wild leap that she took on the Quincy ride, I dismounted & sent her over - yes - she made a huge leap. She also spent a lot of time chomping on her bit - when Count was in front. Her preference is certainly for moving out - but I love enjoying the shaded beauty of the spring woods. We went out to the far north - Baby Bear trail. The mother bear & her two cubs have been spotted again this season.
From the Monument
It was just beautiful at the Monument - the Olympics visible through the high haze. Warm in the sunshine, but easy to tell that the weather plans to change. From here - we took the new trail that the Bike Club members finished the end of last year. Winding, very well laid out as a nice challenging trail for bikes, not quite large enough turns for a fast trotting horse. Still very soft in spots too, in another year or so it should settle.
New SaddleRight Pad
As we were making the turn up our road, Butch's truck made the turn in front of us! Butch picked up a box at the gate & I knew right away what it was! We unloaded Farah & tried the endurance style pad. It really seems to be a nice fit! It looks a little large under the Stonewall, which is a small saddle - but covers all the areas I like to have covered. The drop down rigging sits well on it too. I'd ordered a liner - but decided not to use it.
We went to Victoria today - to try out all the little changes that
Cassandra suggested in my tack. First, we moved the breast collar
attachments from the D's on the saddle - lower - to the stirrup hangers. That
moved the "V" of the collar lower on Farah's neck. I unsnapped the attachment to the saddle - to give Farah more room when she's grazing.
Fancy pad! :-)
The SaddleRight pad we're borrowing from Cassandra is at least ten-years old. The color has faded, but the padding is still in perfect condition. Only 1/2" thick - it fits Jackie's requirement of a thin pad for the Stonewall. I have an endurance style on order & hope it arrives before we leave. With a wool felt bottom, it doesn't slip & the saddle stays put on the suede leather top. Time will tell, but I'm liking it a lot so far.
Mt. Baldy -
It was a chilly, gray overcast day - but the kind of weather I love for riding. Just cool enough to keep the bugs down. Wearing a vest again seemed strange after the warm, record-breaking mid-80's of last week.
Looking back down the mountain~
We also tried raising the bit one notch. Farah's canines haven't erupted, but they were close enough to the bit I decided to raise it. Taking away any chance it was hitting. She was not chomping on the bit at all today. I also moved the reins from the bottom ring, to the middle one on the Mylar. Maybe not for competition but it seemed just fine today.
The Salmonberries were ripe! After the last two days of rain, they were so fresh & yummy! It seems early - I know I've made jam in June other years. It was one of my dad's favorites!
Farah in the Deep Dark Woods~
Before Cassandra's visit, someone told me that a good trainer is one that sets a goal for you. We were in the tack room, Cassandra walked over to the Mikmar Loose Ring Snaffle Sandra had me buy for Farah while she was in training. Putting it in her hand, Cassandra looked at me & said; "This is our goal - for you to be able to ride her in this, no matter what you're doing." I was caught totally off-guard & my face must have shown it :-) As her words sunk in, I realized it would be a goal to suit us perfectly! If we get to that point - we'll have arrived in more ways than one! Thank you, Cassandra!
Cassandra & I had been attempting to meet for a couple weeks. I've been on restriction - since my eye surgery & with these sunshine days - I wanted nothing more than to ride. (One day early? Has to be OK!) Cassandra was coming this way to meet & trail ride with two young clients. After checking with them, I was invited along! I was driving up 59th slowly - looking for the driveway to the farm where we planned to meet - when I saw someone riding along the side of the road. Introducing ourselves - Ruth said; "You must be one of the people I'm riding with today!"
Ruth & her Arab ~
Sure enough - we were both heading to the same place! Michael welcomed
us & directed me to a spot to park that would be out of the way.
With a background in Rodeo - he explained that there would be big rigs
coming & going all day. Soon, Samantha pulled in - she boards her
off-the-track Thoroughbred at the farm.
Trying a different saddle pad~
Shortly after - Cassandra arrived, making the drive down from Anderson Arena/Snowy Mountain Stables near Mt. Vernon. Her ride today was a beautiful half Arab, half Friesian. She also brought a SaddleRight saddle pad for me to try. My Woolback is just too thick under the Stonewall & Jackie recommends a thin pad. This one has good reviews, is made in the USA & only 1/2" thick. It was nice to mount up without the saddle slipping.
Farah makes friends~
I am sorry to admit that I don't remember the horses names - but as you can see - Farah was totally enamored of Cassandra's gelding. While the two girls galloped away - Cassandra & I took it a bit easier, her boy was barefoot & Farah had started the ride galloping in place.
Ruth, Cassandra & Samantha - adjusting her saddle~
I was amazed that Farah was willing to stay with her new friend & watch the other two horses take off! We all really had a fun time - the girls would double back to check on us & we got a chance to swap stories :-)
Whitehorse - Three Fingers~
Farah kept me too busy to take many photos. She gets out so seldom with others - especially a group going fast! It was almost funny to see how surprised she was. The day was plenty warm enough for me - the horses all worked up a good sweat in no time. As I told Cassandra, nothing like seeing the gold girl in action to get an idea of what areas we need to work on :-)
Farah watching as we get our photo taken :-)
We had several interesting moments - it was fun watching how an experienced horsewoman & retired jockey deals with a horse that wants to take off. I'm sure that if he'd had shoes, we'd have given the girls a run for their money :-)
Our ride route~
It's a small world - Cassandra had purchased a horse from Charles - we ended the day with a tour of Dean's farm. Swapping more stories & admiring the most beautiful horse farm in the state. Going our separate ways - now friends & planning more riding!
We were pretty excited! Linda was ready for a shakedown trip with her new Arctic Fox camper! We'd planned a three-day weekend of riding at the Les Hilde Trailhead. It had been over a year since my last visit & many more since either of us had ridden this area on any kind of regular basis. Butch had a busy week & was happy to have an excuse to get away. With the opening of rifle hunting season on the same day - we were warned to stay on the lower trails & not venture too high on the mountain. It was a Very Warm afternoon, more like summertime than Fall!
Along the trail~
Linda used to know all these trails well, so she was our leader as we set out to see what of the trails we remembered were still there. In 1995 I'd ridden my third fifty-mile ride here on Jasrada. The Bully Wully is still remembered by those of us who've ridden it - as one of the toughest ever. In the early years before the GPS, with the first ride manager, the course was thought to be short. In 1998, with Dory as the RM, she made certain that 50-miles was indeed 50-miles & the complaints abounded - that it was too tough to do within the time limit. Karma & I had made a couple errors in our ride plan & ended up hardly making it back in time for completion! It was crazy tough that year!
Lots of leaves down!
We found our way from trail to trail - one of the prettiest Fern Gully.
Linda & Count
Count was in the lead, really moving out in his fast trot when I saw something! I'd done some research on mushrooms & fungi a couple years ago, after finding a beautiful specimen on Whidbey Is. I recognized this one, called out to Linda & pulled Farah up!
We both dismounted on the narrow trail & I had to get photos! Neither of us had any bag with us & I'm usually all about leaving the wild untouched as possible - I took my photos & we continued on our way.
Out to a road~
Soon, we were quite a way far to the south of camp. It was getting later in the afternoon & sunset is coming earlier! Linda thought we could find old trails on the far side of the Crown Pacific Mainline, so we tried. We did a stunning loop - ending up back where we'd started :-) We tried again, the trail Linda remembered being here - was lost in a clear-cut. We did some road work, then found the next trail - again looping around, but not getting much further toward camp. Back to the road again & finally back on trails!
Back to camp!
Butch was waiting for us, hoping to see us before sunset :-) It was getting chilly & both horses were covered in sweat. The most sweat I've had on Farah since Mt. Adams. These trails are technical, lots of up/down & up again. We'd covered over 12-miles in just over 3.5 hours & climbed 1,450 feet.
The Stonewall saddle performed perfectly on both the steep assents where I had to grab mane & the downhill slides to the creek beds.
Our route~
We had a super time! Both horses enjoyed seeing new trails so much! We had dinner, then sat out with a fire burning & admired the stars on a perfectly clear night!
Farah & I headed out on our own today - I wanted to stretch out the area that I'm trying to memorize. I'm still sad to have lost one of my favorite riding partners. It was fun last Sunday, to be the first visitors to Joyce's new home & see where her trails will go!
Heading down to Harvey Creek
Bright sunshine, light breeze - a literally perfect first day of Fall... The best riding weather imaginable & only a few trailers in the parking lot. Farah was in a good mood today - the Stonewall is working so very well for us both, making me anxious to get mine! I'm still playing with the rigging. Jackie said to either have it on the pad or below the pad. I like it on the pad, but when I raised it again - it puts it under my knee. It really didn't seem to bother me - even there.
The usual breeze at the River~
I went ahead & ordered a pad from Stonewall, that will fit the saddle. When it comes, I'm going to see where the rigging works best. Of course adjusting it - makes a difference in the length of cinch too. I'm using my 26" right now, but may yet order a shorter one. The only problem I've had, if you can call it a problem - is the pad slipping out the back. Today - with the rigging on the pad - it stayed in place better.
The beautiful white rock, under water in the north fork of the Stillaquamish!
If you check out my post from our last ride here, you'll see what this rock looks like & of course now we know why :-) This spot is such a peaceful place, Farah & I enjoyed it. She has it figured out now - first we're under the bridge, next we're up on it!
Over Tin Bridge
No yellow jackets this season - sweet relief! We went on across, up to Cloverdale - no changes yet, just the spots where the survey crew has been checking to see where a straight rail bed needs to be re-established. This is spite of a landowner who is unhappy with the trail going through. Over the years - there have been a lot of those...
There are off-set survey marks~
The infamous "hole" is just to the left, in the trees - where the rail bed ballast was stolen. We didn't go this way today... I'm hopeful that it won't be too long until this section sees some work!
The rock ballast ~
I usually walk the half-mile of ballast that gets us to Cloverdale & let me say - it's No Fun. It also goes on forever, which I found out when I rode to the Cicero Bridge. There's just no way that the trail is going to be getting much use At All - until all this ballast is mitigated with a top dressing of fine rock or sand.
At our meeting last week, this was discussed & it is on the work schedule - but with everything else going on - no date has been set. There's only four bridges left to deck - so hopeful those will get done before the year end - when the funds will dry up. I also found out that currently there are No funds for the bridge grating that was supposed to be installed to prevent slipping. Not sure yet how to tackle that obstacle. Guess getting it all OPEN is the first priority - & that is now pushed back from the middle, to the end of next year...
It was an Epic day! Epic in that I took the plunge & drove the Bronco & horse trailer with Farah in it - down Linda's new driveway! What the heck, once we were down, we'd get in a ride - whether I got back up would be the trick :-)
Far views~
I wanted to go out to where we'd been months ago, just as the logging was finished & the last of the logs were being loaded onto the trucks. Taking one trail, we were blocked by a huge downed tree - taking another - we made it through!
Such a beautiful area~
I told Linda, with views like these, I hope we never see expensive homes taking over this landscape. The trees planted here are a mix - with Cedars too, so hopefully the tree farm is taking the long view here.
Linda & Count~
We made a huge loop, coming around to Baby Bear trail. Farah hit the hill at a gallop, then hit the brakes just as fast - as this is a known lunch break spot :-) She's moving so well in the Stonewall now. I think it's taken her a few rides to realize that she wasn't going to be pinched on the downhills.
It seemed like everywhere we went there were trees down, sad to see the huge ones on the ground, even it areas of what I'd call deep forest. Strange how the wind can take one tree out of many & knock it down.
Cascades, Whitehorse - no snow~
We took trails up to the top~
Lake McMurrary
Finally ending up at the Monument, by mid-afternoon.
Final Views~
Dropping down the steep trail, another tree had dropped lower - we didn't have to dismount, but it too will be on the chainsaw list.
There's going to be a trail clearing party on September 18th at 10 a.m. Check out the link for further information. This time, just getting the trails back open will be the priority! Come! Bring a lunch & be prepared to work! :-)
Finally, back at Linda's, I loaded Farah, put the Bronco in 4-wheel drive, second gear & chugged back up the hill to the road! Yippee!
